CURL | Voyageurs Split Day 3, Control Their Own Fate Heading Into Final Game
The Voyageurs had their toughest day in terms of competition on day three of the U SPORTS Curling Championships in Fredericton, NB on Sunday. Their opponents on the day were the 4-0 Dalhousie Tigers and the 3-1 Queen's Gaels, the two teams who joined Laurentian at the top of the standings after the first two days of competition. While the competition was tough on paper, it was equally tough on the ice and the Voyageurs were more than up for the task.
In the first game against the Tigers, after settling for a single in the first end, vice, Megan Smith, locked her rock on to the Tigers' stone at the edge of the button. After numerous attempts to remove Smith's rock, the Tigers were forced to throw their final stone away in fear of giving up a big end, giving the Voyageurs a steal of one instead. The teams went back and forth after that, forcing each other to singles or stealing, heading into the eighth end tied at four.
In the eighth end, the Voyageurs capitalized on some missed shots by the Tigers and packed the house with rocks. After the Tigers' skip couldn't hold her last shot, Kira Brunton drew the 4 foot for a three ender. After the big end, the Voyageurs turned up the defence, forcing Dalhousie to a single in the ninth end before running them out of rocks in the 10th for the 8-5 victory.
In the evening draw against the Gaels, it was a defensive battle from the get-go, with the teams trading singles for the first three ends. In the fourth, Laurentian just missed their double, allowing Queen's and open draw for two but the Voyageurs bounced back with a single in the fifth to head to the break all squared up at 3.
Laurentian then stole a single in six but the Gaels grabbed it right back with a deuce in seven after a failed runback attempt by the Voyageurs. Brunton and company were able to get a point in eight before the ninth was blanked, setting up the crucial 10th end with the teams knotted at 5. With the Gaels having hammer, the Voyageurs were looking for the steal but when Brunton's final draw came up light, it was the Gaels scoring three and booking their ticket to the semi-finals.
The Voyageurs have one round robin game remaining against the host UNB Reds at 12:30pm ADT. The women control their own destiny as, with a win, Laurentian will qualify for the semi-finals, which are scheduled for 7pm ADT.